Every purchase is a vote for the kind of economy you want to live in.

When you buy from Amazon, your dollar leaves your community almost instantly. It doesn't pay a neighbor's wage, sponsor a local little league team, or help a founder down the street keep her doors open. Economic research consistently shows that money spent with local, independent businesses recirculates in the community at roughly twice the rate of money spent with national chains — and online giants return even less.

At Mindful Founders, we exist to help entrepreneurs thrive. And we've seen what the one-click economy costs them: independent makers, booksellers, and retailers competing against a platform with pricing power no small business can match. Convenience is real — but so is the price our communities pay for it.

Deleting your Amazon account is more than canceling a subscription. It's a mindful decision to slow down, buy with intention, and put your dollars where your values are. Find the local bookstore. Order directly from the maker's website. Ask a founder in your community what they sell.

Your dollar is more powerful than you think. Spend it like it matters.

Take the pledge: Delete your account. Discover your local economy.

“Low prices” have a hidden cost — and our communities are the ones paying it.

When a dollar is spent at a locally owned business, a far greater share of it stays right where you live: in local wages, local services, local suppliers, and local causes. When that same dollar is spent at a big-box chain, most of it leaves town. Multiply that by every grocery run and household purchase, and the difference is a community that builds wealth versus one that exports it.

We've all watched it happen: a big-box store arrives, and over time the hardware store, the pharmacy, and the family grocer disappear. With them go the entrepreneurs — the risk-takers, employers, and community leaders that Mindful Founders exists to support. Entrepreneurship can't thrive in a town where every dollar flows to a distant headquarters.

Choosing not to shop at Walmart isn't about sacrifice. It's about redirecting your spending toward the people building something in your own community — the farmer at the Saturday market, the founder behind the counter, the local shop that knows your name. Yes, it sometimes costs a little more. What you get back is a stronger local economy, more local jobs, and a community where founders can succeed.

Shift one shopping trip this month. Watch what your community does with it.

Tell Congress that founder mental health and small business support are priorities. Find your officials using the button below, then copy our template and make it your own.

FIND YOUR OFFICIALS (link: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials)

Example email:

Subject: Support Small Business Owners' Mental Health and the SBA

Dear [Representative/Senator Name],

I'm a constituent from [City, State], and I'm writing to ask you to support America's smallest businesses — including the people who run them. Entrepreneurs experience dramatically higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation than the general population, yet most cite cost as the top barrier to care.

I urge you to (1) protect full funding and staffing for the Small Business Administration, (2) support policies that make mental health care affordable for self-employed people and microbusinesses, and (3) treat founder wellbeing as part of small business policy.

Small businesses create two out of every three new jobs in this country. Supporting the people behind them is an economic issue as much as a health issue.

Sincerely, [Your Name], [City, State]

Most founders suffering in silence think they're the only ones. One share can change that.

87.7% of US entrepreneurs struggle with at least one mental health issue. If you're a founder who's struggling — you are far from alone. Mindful Founders Inc. is working to change this: [your page link]

SHARE ON LINKEDIN · SHARE ON X · SHARE ON FACEBOOK (links are in Part B, step 5)

Real stories move policymakers and remind struggling founders they're not alone. With your permission, we feature selected stories - anonymously if you prefer - in our advocacy work.

Sharing about suicidal thoughts? Please also reach out for support - call or text 988.

For founders, investors, and ecosystem partners: pledge to treat wellness and mental health as a legitimate business and policy priority - for yourself and your team. Signers are listed, with permission, as part of our growing coalition.

SIGN THE PLEDGE (links to a second form or its own page — Part B, step 7)